Open mike 03/02/2021

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, February 3rd, 2021 - 85 comments
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85 comments on “Open mike 03/02/2021 ”

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  1. Adrian Thornton 1
    3 February 2021 at 6:50 am

    Very good interview regarding Navalny, probably worth watching if this story has any interest to you…

    Putin and Navalny Both Represent Big Russian Capital – Alexander Buzgalin

    • Treetop 1.1
      3 February 2021 at 8:02 am

      I have seen it time and time again leaders who are addicted to power and they will cross the line to keep it.

    • Brigid 1.2
      3 February 2021 at 11:01 am

      "Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny’s suspended sentence in the Yves Rocher embezzlement case has been converted to 3 years and 6 months behind bars, TASS reports from the courtroom.

      "Despite the preventive measures taken with him, Navalny repeatedly violated his deadlines for reporting to the inspection. The court considers the motion of the [Russian] Federal Penitentiary Service to be satisfied," judge Natalya Repnikova announced the decision."

      https://tass.com/society/1251939

      • Adrian Thornton 1.2.1
        3 February 2021 at 12:48 pm

        Yes, as usual RNZ and western media in general display their utter and almost total inability to contextualise important international news…and they wonder why so many people don't trust the news they feed them.

        The Manufacturing Consent model has become almost total in MSM.

  2. Stuart Munro 2
    3 February 2021 at 7:29 am

    A possible flash point for international conflict – the Crimea is running out of water.

    • francesca 2.1
      3 February 2021 at 10:26 am

      Interesting that now the Ukrainians see Crimean citizens as their enemy .Why block water to people they see as being occupied by Russia?

      • francesca 2.1.1
        3 February 2021 at 10:41 am

        And of course, rivers that flow through Ukraine, like the Dnieper, have their headwaters in Russia.

        Tit for tat could see Ukraine without water for their hydro and much of their water needs

        Still, why is Kiev punishing the very people it believes to be its own citizens!

        • Stuart Munro 2.1.1.1
          3 February 2021 at 12:33 pm

          That would no doubt have much to do with the high proportion of Russian military that have been deployed to the area – as they were prior to the seizure. https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-ukraine-crimea/29790037.html These at least are no Crimean citizens.

          It remains to be seen how far the US will go to prevent a full scale Russian invasion of the Ukraine – but at least Putin's bootlicker Trump is out of the picture for a bit, and can't roll over in response to Russian aggression as he no doubt would have done.

          It must be tempting to US interests to interdict Russian expansionism at the Crimean chokepoint rather than let its corrosive influence permeate through Syria and the like.

    • Jimmy 3.1
      3 February 2021 at 8:26 am

      Very sad, but he will certainly be remembered for all the good he did. 100 is a great innings.

    • Adrian 3.2
      3 February 2021 at 10:28 am

      Its a telling indictment of British governance now that Hitler and his cohort couldn't kill Sir Tom Moore but Boris Fucking Johnson could.

      • Muttonbird 3.2.1
        3 February 2021 at 10:48 am

        It highlights the laissez-faire attitude the British have toward Covid-19.

      • Nic the NZer 3.2.2
        3 February 2021 at 10:59 am

        Your (of course) holding our PM responsible for the 25 deaths in NZ?

        • Adrian 3.2.2.1
          3 February 2021 at 2:42 pm

          The Ardern Labour governments superb response has limited deaths from covid to 25, Boris Fucking Johnsons inept, arrogant, public school ingrained stupidity has killed off 107,000, the UK toll under the NZ response would have been about 350.

      • Jimmy 3.2.3
        3 February 2021 at 11:09 am

        The guy was 100 years old and had pneumonia but you're blaming Boris for his death?

        • anker 3.2.3.1
          3 February 2021 at 12:13 pm

          I thought Captain Tom was in hospital with Covid. The pneumonia surely a result of that.

          I hold the govt responsible that we have only had 25 deaths. They responded swiftly and superbly to a novel virus. We are extremely fortunately it has only been 25.

          My absolute sympathy to those people who lost their love ones. We can thank our Govt that the country is experiencing mass grief at the moment.

  4. Adrian Thornton 4
    3 February 2021 at 8:10 am

    Sadly RNZ and most other NZ news outlets make this their lead story, but of course never do a serious story or even a small story on this…time to just admit RNZ has become nothing more than a news/entertainment outlet for teenagers and adults who can't be bothered thinking for themselves…..

    The Tories' new trade bill means the NHS is now unquestionably up for sale

    By rejecting Labour’s proposed amendments, the government has left our health service at the mercy of hungry US corporations

    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jul/22/the-tories-new-trade-bill-means-the-nhs-is-now-unquestionably-up-for-sale

  5. Incognito 5
    3 February 2021 at 8:26 am

    https://www.newsroom.co.nz/staring-down-the-barrel-of-nzs-doctor-crisis

    The problem: a plethora of fiefdoms run and ruled by managers.

    The solution: a bigger, more powerful centralised fiefdom to rule them all.

    Simplistic?

    • Pat 5.1
      3 February 2021 at 8:48 am

      One would have expected that to be a basic function of the MoH

      • Incognito 5.1.1
        3 February 2021 at 9:00 am

        Nah, we have to wait till National and ACT lead Government and bring back Steven Joyce and Rodney Hide to merge MBIE and MoH into one giant Super-Ministry called Big Bertha.

        Nobody in power likes to share data, information, or knowledge in fear of giving up power & control. Transparency and accountability are PR speak for giving the great unwashed their daily amnesia pill and the bread and circuses provided by MSM and SM do the rest. Have we won the AC yet?

    • RedLogix 5.2
      3 February 2021 at 8:54 am

      We’ve heard about this issue on an off for decades, but the big factor that's different this time is the ageing workforce. Across so many technical and professional specialisations we're losing people to retirement that are simply not being replaced in sufficient numbers.

      At present you can roughly divide adults into three almost equal cohorts, a 20-40 group who're relatively unskilled but energetic and growing their lives, 40-60 who've now become more skilled and productive and are investing heavily for their old age – and then over 60 who now find themselves actively shunted into retirement and become consumers of their capital. (If they have any that is.)

      There are two paths we can consider. One is to address more forcefully the absurd ageism that's rife in the employment market. Everyone knows and everyone does it, yet we pretend it's somehow ok and 'what are you whinging about now boomer'? That would expand the availability of already skilled and capable people later into their lives.

      The second more approach we need to be thinking about is how to get younger workers up to speed and more productive earlier in their careers. Get people up into that 'skilled high value bracket' by their early 30's instead of their 40's. More employer investment into automation and in career training are the obvious plays here.

      The point is our demographics are changing in ways our societies have never experienced before – and we'll need to start considering doing things in response we're not accustomed to.

      • Pat 5.2.1
        3 February 2021 at 9:02 am

        Lets assume the premise is correct….I shake my head every time I hear some office wallah extolling the virtues of working past retirement age…in many occupations it is quite simply typically impossible if not downright dangerous.

        • Descendant Of Smith 5.2.1.1
          3 February 2021 at 9:31 am

          There actually needs to be a stock assessment of all the workforces as to their age cohorts. This isn't occurring just in Health – building, engineering, farming, carpet laying …. there is a long list.

          Should be easy to be done centrally by industry first using IRD wage and salary data as a starting point – I think only IRD would have where you work and what industry it is in.

          That would allow some focus after that on occupations. All the info should be made public and accessible and updated monthly if possible so industries can examine where they are at and plan accordingly. This is where government should be able to shine – the provision of timely, quality bulk data.

          • Pat 5.2.1.1.1
            3 February 2021 at 9:46 am

            Agree it is a reported issue in many workforces and in the near term it is only going to get worse. I would have thought it will have been an issue widely canvassed in Labour's Future of Work study…..then again perhaps not.

        • RedLogix 5.2.1.2
          3 February 2021 at 9:45 am

          Yes it's true that as we age the nature of what we can do well also changes – but the idea that somehow we become suddenly useless at 65 is just nuts. Adaptation is always possible.

          • Pat 5.2.1.2.1
            3 February 2021 at 9:51 am

            who said useless?….I think I said "in many occupations it is typically impossible if not downright dangerous'.

            I have witnessed countless guys struggling through the final years of their working life trying to hide the fact the job is too much for them (physically) any longer and the impact it has on their health…many of them decided it wasnt possible any longer and didnt make retirement age in the industry.

            • RedLogix 5.2.1.2.1.1
              3 February 2021 at 10:34 am

              All true but not obviously relevant to the 'skilled technical and professional' groups we're talking about here.

              • Pat …
                3 February 2021 at 10:40 am

                Not so sure about that….with increasing workloads on the existing cohort 'burn out' and mental health appear to be an issue…certainly in the primary health field.

                And the world dosnt run solely on skilled technical and professional groups….such as it runs.

      • Ad 5.2.2
        3 February 2021 at 9:37 am

        We are just going to have to consult back to the major firms for 2 days a week.

        Agree both New Zealand and Australia are fast-ageing societies, and the skills planning largely consists of propping up polytechs.

        • RedLogix 5.2.2.1
          3 February 2021 at 9:56 am

          One good friend here put it to me like this – employers know you can still do the job, but they also intuitively sense that as you got older not only did the tide of bullshit keep rising, but your tolerance for it diminished.

          And the two trends crossed over for you about two years ago devil

          • Ad 5.2.2.1.1
            3 February 2021 at 9:57 am

            🙂

          • Anne 5.2.2.1.2
            3 February 2021 at 10:05 am

            … employers know you can still do the job, but they also intuitively sense that as you got older not only did the tide of bullshit keep rising, but your tolerance for it diminished.

            yes yes

        • Nic the NZer 5.2.2.2
          3 February 2021 at 10:12 am

          "Agree both New Zealand and Australia are fast-ageing"

          To which galaxy are we going?

          • Ad 5.2.2.2.1
            3 February 2021 at 11:05 am

            To a land in which economists are useless and confounded.

            No one, not even the most optimistic, thought headline unemployment would fall to 4.9%, the underutilisation rate (even seasonally adjusted) falls to 11.9%, and now the fifth highest employment rate for those 15-64 in the OECD.

            https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/124119700/shock-fall-in-unemployment-to-49

            • AB 5.2.2.2.1.1
              3 February 2021 at 12:02 pm

              Clearly – they were holding the chicken entrails upside down at the time of their predictions. Hence the gobsmackery they have just experienced. No worries, normal transmission will soon be resumed, and along with it, their accustomed air of authority.

            • Sanctuary 5.2.2.2.1.2
              3 February 2021 at 12:08 pm

              Falling unemployment, growing economy, rising wages. Labour's best in the world covid response continues.

              Makes you wonder if we ever really needed all those annoying tourists messing the place up.

            • Nic the NZer 5.2.2.2.1.3
              3 February 2021 at 12:37 pm

              I would be very cautiously about the desirable level of economic forecasting certainty.

              In no time at all following 2008-2010 the Key government had control of the narrative, unemployment in NZ was relatively low and spending was being slowed towards surplus regardless whos pocket book that cut into.

              Clearly from events we now know the country could have afforded to be much more supportive, and that also applies to Jacindas first term. But it still took 2020 to shake the sureity with which the country carried on at the time.

              • Ad …
                3 February 2021 at 3:21 pm

                Last time we had anything like an economic narrative was 2002. An attempt at least.

                Since then it's been simply crisis response. 2020 is no exception.

                Grand narratives are grand, I recall Paul Ricoeur saying, because what they narrate is the work of the social imaginary itself. No one is proposing a New Zealand state with that scale of agency.

      • McFlock 5.2.3
        3 February 2021 at 3:13 pm

        From the ones I've know professionally and personally, doctors don't retire due to age.

        They seem to retire either so they can ignore the daily bs and do their own research or healthcare-related thing, or so they can live in Otago or Nelson (sometimes with grapes involved).

  6. Tricledrown 6
    3 February 2021 at 9:46 am

    Technology will make up the labour skills short fall weather there is enough of a tax base to fund retirees is another matter.

    • Descendant Of Smith 6.1
      3 February 2021 at 10:13 am

      It is why quality jobs are important that pay well. If GDP rises on the basis of added value/high profit then anything is affordable – if GDP rises on the basis of low paid jobs like tourism then it is much more of a struggle.

      The problem is we've chased low paying work.

      I think what companies like Tait could have done with good investment in those early days of cell-phones, etc. We potentially could have been leading the world in cell-phone technology.

      On the other hand we are starting to see us leading in things like agricultural robotics.

      • Stuart Munro 6.1.1
        3 February 2021 at 4:33 pm

        The problem is we've chased low paying work.

        It's more that the wretchedly worthless clowns in Treasury and Immigration and Education have chased low-paying work on our behalf. We ought to have a professionalised society along Scandinavian lines, and would but for the larding of our civil services with Brash-selected failures addicted to Chicago School nonsense instead of the pragmatism that used to make our country effective.

        Had a long yarn with a semi-retired former DSIR bloke the other day. The civil service has gone from bad to worse, with gyres of managers producing nothing but friction stymying the work that needs to be done at every turn. And for Callahan Innovation, his scorn was withering. The cheese has been pared a little too often, so development has stalled – except in the safest of all sectors, property speculation.

        But hey – 900 Kiribatians the other day – undercutting wages and setting worker exploitation in concrete until the present generation of corrupt MPs retire. Our economy will follow that of the American south – hollowed out by slave-depressed wages and the worthless spawn of entitlement non-working rentiers breed.

  7. Anne 7
    3 February 2021 at 9:59 am

    A new Russian Covid vaccine is showing signs of being very effective and they expect to have 1.4 billion doses available this year.

    Another possible source of vaccine for NZ to consider in the near future? Or will it be turned down cos, you know… Russia.

    https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/feb/02/sputnik-v-vaccine-has-916-efficacy-against-symptomatic-covid-russian-trial-suggests

    • Enough is Enough 7.1
      3 February 2021 at 10:45 am

      We are in no hurry to get our hands on the vaccine so I don't expect the government will be talking to Russia about it.

      • Anne 7.1.1
        3 February 2021 at 2:50 pm

        We are in no hurry to get our hands on the vaccine…

        That's not the impression I have. Hipkins has exhibited frustration about the current situation and has been in daily contact with the providers. They are very concerned.

    • McFlock 7.2
      3 February 2021 at 3:23 pm

      Now that it's finally gone through phase 3 trials, it's probably as copacetic as the others.

      It was, shall we say, a 'bold move' cut cut corners as significantly as they did, though. A bit like lauching a moon mission without thoroughly testing the engines that would get you off the rock and back home.

      • Brigid 7.2.1
        3 February 2021 at 4:09 pm

        "cut corners as significantly as they did" They did? Care to elucidate?

        Anyway

        "In the first week of February, vaccination with Sputnik V will start in the following 12 countries: Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Palestine, UAE, Paraguay, Hungary, Armenia, Algeria, Bosnian Serb Republic, Venezuela and Iran."

        "

        • Efficacy of Sputnik V against COVID-19 was reported at 91.6%.

          • Analysis included data on 19,866 volunteers, who received both the first and second doses of the Sputnik V vaccine or placebo at the final control point of 78 confirmed COVID-19 cases.
          • Efficacy in the elderly group of 2,144 volunteers over 60 years old was 91.8% and did not differ statistically from the 18-60 group.

        "

        https://sputnikvaccine.com/about-vaccine/

        Lancet analysis and report:

        https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(21)00234-8/fulltext

        • McFlock 7.2.1.1
          3 February 2021 at 4:33 pm

          Well, yes they did cut corners.

          Russia started dispensing it on 5 December. That's only ten days after they recruited their cohort for the first half of their phase 3 trials. Given that the trials looked at recipients for 21 days after their shot, let me be clear on this: they started distributing the vaccine before even the interim phase 3 trial results had been produced.

          As opposed to Oxford–AstraZeneca, for which the interim phase 3 results were announced on 23 November and the first non-trials distribution was on 4 Jan 2021.

          Whether that was a calculated risk by the Russians when faced with a pandemic and an extremely promising (if untested) vaccine, or simply a prestige-based move based on a fair bet nothing will go massively wrong with it, that's up in the air.

          • Brigid 7.2.1.1.1
            3 February 2021 at 7:02 pm

            That's some knot you've tied yourself in there McFlock

            • McFlock 7.2.1.1.1.1
              3 February 2021 at 9:29 pm

              Starting general distribution before large scale results are in isn't cutting corners?

              What were they going to do if the trial had some adverse events – unvaccinate everyone?

      • Anne 7.2.2
        3 February 2021 at 5:29 pm

        Thanks for the new word copacetic to add to my vocab. library. 😉

        Maybe they did cut a few corners but they would have been informed enough to know the risk was worth taking. Whatever… it provides those countries who would not be able to afford the more expensive vaccines a chance to vaccinate their citizens. That is is a damned good thing for everyone.

        • McFlock 7.2.2.1
          3 February 2021 at 9:21 pm

          I mean, I'm not saying they were distributing something they thought was likely to go wrong, quite the reverse.

          But phase three trials exist for a reason, even though they're expensive. Something gets to phase three if folks are pretty darn sure it will work and be safe, but not every drug or device passes them.

          This one seems to be coming out ok.

  8. francesca 8
    3 February 2021 at 10:58 am

    Astra Zeneca has teamed up with Sputnik to improve its efficacy

    https://www.europeanpharmaceuticalreview.com/news/136683/astrazeneca-to-test-combination-of-azd1222-and-sputnik-v-vaccines/

    We're signed up with Astra Zeneca so will likely get Sputnik embedded

    Both are much cheaper than the vaccines invented by mega pharmaceutical companies

  10. Chris 10
    3 February 2021 at 12:27 pm

    In the midst of news unemployment figures dropping and average wages increasing Federated Farmers say 'finding and retaining staff is a headache for its members'.

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/124119700/shock-fall-in-unemployment-to-49-per-cent

    Perhaps if farmers and the rest of the agriculture and horticulture industries stopped relying on paying the minimum wage or less they wouldn't find getting workers so difficult.

    • Ad 10.1
      3 February 2021 at 1:24 pm

      It's a near-perfect storm for leveraging wage prices up, with few students, few temporary seasonal workers, very few tourist visas and wine and apple harvest coming around the corner.

      That Living Wage target sure appears achievable with this amount of market pressure.

      • Chris 10.1.1
        3 February 2021 at 2:55 pm

        Just a shame the living wage isn't much more than the minimum wage.

        • Ad 10.1.1.1
          3 February 2021 at 3:23 pm

          We are a low-wage, low investment, low productivity economy.

          So you take the leverage when you find it.

          For workers, this is the most Goldilocks moment we've had in a decade.

          • Stuart Munro 10.1.1.1.1
            3 February 2021 at 4:36 pm

            We are a low-wage, low investment, low productivity economy.

            For which we can thank the unevolved economists of Treasury.

            • Ad 10.1.1.1.1.1
              3 February 2021 at 5:56 pm

              Successive governments chose this state for us for us since at least Holyoake.

              • Stuart Munro …
                3 February 2021 at 6:43 pm

                Holyoake didn't can free education, kill the DSIR or let the DFC go off the reservation – that happened under a less scrupulous generation. And that's saying something.

                • Ad …
                  3 February 2021 at 7:59 pm

                  Agree every government has contributed to where we are. Holyoake didn't set up an equivalent to Temasek, didn't tax water use, didn't try to keep Glaxo here, didn't support the development of a local stock exchange, didn't do anything useful from the wool collapse, didn't prepare use for CER, didn't build on Sutch's work, didn't support union shopfloor productivity, didn't do much at all.

                  • Stuart Munro …
                    3 February 2021 at 9:00 pm

                    Doesn't let Treasury off the hook though – they are useless. All this stuff about an aging society – what do they suppose insecure low-wage employment and a housing bubble created by capital inflows does for working folk meaning to raise a family? Too stupid to live – and these are the folk who, for some reason, pull in big bucks. A bit of competence in economics wouldn't go amiss.

  11. Incognito 11
    3 February 2021 at 2:41 pm

    New Zealand Labour/Greens support up to 58.5% – highest since the election

    https://www.roymorgan.com/findings/8629-nz-national-voting-intention-january-2021-202102010459

  12. Chris 12
    3 February 2021 at 2:59 pm

    Finally someone's come up with the answer. If only everybody did what Anja Meredith's done…everyone would own their own home. About time people began taking responsibility!

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/homed/buying/124035697/property-investor-who-bought-five-houses-during-lockdown-plans-to-own-25-by-2025

    • Roy Cartland 12.1
      3 February 2021 at 3:37 pm

      Wow that makes me sick. How on earth is this even remotely 'productive'?

      • Jester 12.1.1
        3 February 2021 at 9:25 pm

        You could do it too if you wanted. Borrowing money has never been cheaper. I say good on her, but there is a risk involved and a lot of people (probably like yourself) are not willing to take that risk.

    • Drowsy M. Kram 12.2
      3 February 2021 at 4:15 pm

      Meredith says all her disciplines create "self confidence & happiness" – good on her for chasing her dreams. Not for everyone though, and not for me – sounds exhausting.

      • Chris 12.2.1
        3 February 2021 at 5:36 pm

        These kinds of stories have attached the subtext "everybody can do it if the really want to so if you don't want to you don't really want it so everything's your own fault". The irony is that if everyone had that dream house prices would shoot through to the next galaxy, even less people would own their own home, homelessness increases and so on. These one percenter stories that are dressed up to tell us things aren't that bad are like a pyramid scheme – the more people believe them the worse things get. The flipside is that perpetuating these stories is in the interests of one group, and to the detriment of another.

    • RosieLee 12.3
      3 February 2021 at 5:19 pm

      Obscene.

    • McFlock 12.4
      3 February 2021 at 5:25 pm

      move out of the way "avacado smash", the reason for low home ownership is evening TV and not getting up early enough.

    • Tiger Mountain 12.5
      3 February 2021 at 6:16 pm

      Does the Real Estate industry sponsor this crap one might wonder?

      Every few weeks a story pops up about say, a 17 year old with two flyer rounds, and a strong work ethic, who has bought a block of flats or something–“anyone prepared to work hard and give away the coffee can do it” the little weasel says …until the reader discovers a loan or assistance from family etc. actually kickstarted the process.

      Many middle class families know with certainty that their kids will never raise a deposit in the current environment, unless their parents are in a position to cough up.

      That is why Labour has got it so wrong imo–the switch voters, and “doing oks” they are pandering to, along with their slavish defence of neoliberal hegemony, would actually like to see their own kids in houses!

      • Pat 12.5.1
        3 February 2021 at 6:52 pm

        "Does the Real Estate industry sponsor this crap one might wonder?"

        'Sponsor' may be a little too explicit…..encourage shall we say (along with the other vested interests)

  13. Incognito 13
    3 February 2021 at 9:14 pm

    "The government's latest argument is that other countries need the vaccine more than we do. Taken to its logical conclusion, that would mean no vaccines for New Zealanders for many years to come, which even the government isn't proposing."

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/435748/covid-19-vaccine-government-s-contracts-with-suppliers-questioned

    As Mr Spock would say: “Mr Bishop, you are a moron”.

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    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 26, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Transport: Simeon Brown announced $802.9 million in funding for 18 new trains on the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines, which ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Radical law changes needed to build road

    The northern expressway extension from Warkworth to Whangarei is likely to require radical changes to legislation if it is going to be built within the foreseeable future. The Government’s powers to purchase land, the planning process and current restrictions on road tolling are all going to need to be changed ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 day ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #30 2024

    Open access notables Could an extremely cold central European winter such as 1963 happen again despite climate change?, Sippel et al., Weather and Climate Dynamics: Here, we first show based on multiple attribution methods that a winter of similar circulation conditions to 1963 would still lead to an extreme seasonal ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago
  • First they came for the Māori

    Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedFirst they came for the doctors But I was confused by the numbers and costs So I didn't speak up Then they came for our police and nurses And I didn't think we could afford those costs anyway So I ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Join us for the weekly Hoon on YouTube Live

    Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on UnsplashWe’re back again after our mid-winter break. We’re still with the ‘new’ day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when we have our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Will the real PM Luxon please stand up?

    Notes: This is a free article. Abuse in Care themes are mentioned. Video is at the bottom.BackgroundYesterday’s report into Abuse in Care revealed that at least 1 in 3 of all who went through state and faith based care were abused - often horrifically. At least, because not all survivors ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Will debt reduction trump abuse in care redress?

    Luxon speaks in Parliament yesterday about the Abuse in Care report. Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:PM Christopher Luxon said yesterday in tabling the Abuse in Care report in Parliament he wanted to ‘do the ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Olywhites and Time Bandits

    About a decade ago I worked with a bloke called Steve. He was the grizzled veteran coder, a few years older than me, who knew where the bodies were buried - code wise. Despite his best efforts to be approachable and friendly he could be kind of gruff, through to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Why were the 1930s so hot in North America?

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters and Bob Henson Those who’ve trawled social media during heat waves have likely encountered a tidbit frequently used to brush aside human-caused climate change: Many U.S. states and cities had their single hottest temperature on record during the 1930s, setting incredible heat marks ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago
  • Throwback Thursday – Thinking about Expressways

    Some of the recent announcements from the government have reminded us of posts we’ve written in the past. Here’s one from early 2020. There were plenty of reactions to the government’s infrastructure announcement a few weeks ago which saw them fund a bunch of big roading projects. One of ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Thursday, July 25

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Thursday, July 25 are:News: Why Electric Kiwi is closing to new customers - and why it matters RNZ’s Susan EdmundsScoop: Government drops ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • The Possum: Demon or Friend?

    Hi,I felt a small wet tongue snaking through one of the holes in my Crocs. It explored my big toe, darting down one side, then the other. “He’s looking for some toe cheese,” said the woman next to me, words that still haunt me to this day.Growing up in New ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago
  • Not a story

    Yesterday I happily quoted the Prime Minister without fact-checking him and sure enough, it turns out his numbers were all to hell. It’s not four kg of Royal Commission report, it’s fourteen.My friend and one-time colleague-in-comms Hazel Phillips gently alerted me to my error almost as soon as I’d hit ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Thursday, July 25

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Thursday, July 25, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day were:The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry published its final report yesterday.PM Christopher Luxon and The Minister responsible for ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • A tougher line on “proactive release”?

    The Official Information Act has always been a battle between requesters seeking information, and governments seeking to control it. Information is power, so Ministers and government agencies want to manage what is released and when, for their own convenience, and legality and democracy be damned. Their most recent tactic for ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • 'Let's build a motorway costing $100 million per km, before emissions costs'

    TL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:Transport and Energy Minister Simeon Brown is accelerating plans to spend at least $10 billion through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to extend State Highway One as a four-lane ‘Expressway’ from Warkworth to Whangarei ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Lester's Prescription – Positive Bleeding.

    I live my life (woo-ooh-ooh)With no control in my destinyYea-yeah, yea-yeah (woo-ooh-ooh)I can bleed when I want to bleedSo come on, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)You can bleed when you want to bleedYea-yeah, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)Everybody bleed when they want to bleedCome on and bleedGovernments face tough challenges. Selling unpopular decisions to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Casey Costello gaslights Labour in the House

    Please note:To skip directly to the- parliamentary footage in the video, scroll to 1:21 To skip to audio please click on the headphone icon on the left hand side of the screenThis video / audio section is under development. ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    3 days ago
  • Why is the Texas grid in such bad shape?

    This is a re-post from the Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler Headline from 2021 The Texas grid, run by ERCOT, has had a rough few years. In 2021, winter storm Uri blacked out much of the state for several days. About a week ago, Hurricane Beryl knocked out ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on a textbook case of spending waste by the Luxon government

    Given the crackdown on wasteful government spending, it behooves me to point to a high profile example of spending by the Luxon government that looks like a big, fat waste of time and money. I’m talking about the deployment of NZDF personnel to support the US-led coalition in the Red ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • LXR Takaanini

    As I reported about the city centre, Auckland’s rail network is also going through a difficult and disruptive period which is rapidly approaching a culmination, this will result in a significant upgrade to the whole network. Hallelujah. Also like the city centre this is an upgrade predicated on the City ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    3 days ago
  • Four kilograms of pain

    Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Luxon gets caught out

    NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • A worrying sign

    Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Are we fine with 47.9% home-ownership by 2048?

    Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloitte report for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Let's Win This

    You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Waimahara: The Singing Spirit of Water

    There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
    Greater AucklandBy Connor Sharp
    4 days ago
  • A major milestone: Global climate pollution may have just peaked

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’s Oliver LewisScoop: Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announced the Board of Te Whatu Ora- Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • HealthNZ and Luxon at cross purposes over budget blowout

    Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • 2500-3000 more healthcare staff expected to be fired, as Shane Reti blames Labour for a budget defic...

    Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    4 days ago
  • Might Kamala Harris be about to get a 'stardust' moment like Jacinda Ardern?

    As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
    PunditBy Tim Watkin
    5 days ago
  • Solutions Interview: Steven Hail on MMT & ecological economics

    TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
    The KakaBy Steven Hail
    5 days ago
  • Reported back

    The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Vandrad the Viking, Christopher Coombes, and Literary Archaeology

    Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell On The Biden Withdrawal

    History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    5 days ago
  • Joe Biden's withdrawal puts the spotlight back on Kamala and the USA's complicated relatio...

    This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    5 days ago
  • Why we have to challenge our national fiscal assumptions

    A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Existential Crisis and Damaged Brains

    What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • A speed limit is not a target, and yet…

    This is a guest post from longtime supporter Mr Plod, whose previous contributions include a proposal that Hamilton become New Zealand’s capital city, and that we should switch which side of the road we drive on. A recent Newsroom article, “Back to school for the Govt’s new speed limit policy“, ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #29

    A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago
  • I'd like to share what I did this weekend

    This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • For the children – Why mere sentiment can be a misleading force in our lives, and lead to unex...

    National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Order image, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • A friend in uncertain times

    Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • The Chaotic World of Male Diet Influencers

    Hi,We’ll get to the horrific world of male diet influencers (AKA Beefy Boys) shortly, but first you will be glad to know that since I sent out the Webworm explaining why the assassination attempt on Donald Trump was not a false flag operation, I’ve heard from a load of people ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • It's Starting To Look A Lot Like… Y2K

    Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Bernard’s Saturday Soliloquy for the week to July 20

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Pharmac Director, Climate Change Commissioner, Health NZ Directors – The latest to quit this m...

    Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Flooding Housing Policy

    The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • A Voyage Among the Vandals: Accepted (Again!)

    As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā's Chorus for Friday, July 19

    An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Roundup 19-July-2024

    Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Climate Wrap: A market-led plan for failure

    TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Tobacco First

    Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Trump’s Adopted Son.

    Waiting In The Wings: For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSA announced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Hoon around the week to July 19

    TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent talking about the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s release of its first Emissions Reduction Plan;University of Otago Foreign Relations Professor and special guest Dr Karin von ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #29 2024

    Open access notables Improving global temperature datasets to better account for non-uniform warming, Calvert, Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society: To better account for spatial non-uniform trends in warming, a new GITD [global instrumental temperature dataset] was created that used maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) to combine the land surface ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago

  • Joint statement from the Prime Ministers of Canada, Australia and New Zealand

    Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue.  We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago
  • AG reminds institutions of legal obligations

    Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • More young people learning about digital safety

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views.  “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • Speech to the Conference for General Practice 2024

    Tēnā tātou katoa,  Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago
  • Employers and payroll providers ready for tax changes

    New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts.  “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    24 hours ago
  • Experimental vineyard futureproofs wine industry

    An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Funding confirmed for regions affected by North Island Weather Events

    The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Indonesian Foreign Minister to visit

    Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.   “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Strengthening partnership with Ngāti Maniapoto

    He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Transport Minister thanks outgoing CAA Chair

    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Test for Customary Marine Title being restored

    The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says.  “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Opposition united in bad faith over ECE sector review

    Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet.  “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Kiwis having their say on first regulatory review

    After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks.  “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government upgrading Lower North Island commuter rail

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  • Backing mental health services on the West Coast

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  • Climate Change Minister to attend climate action meeting in China

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    New Zealand and Japan will continue to step up their shared engagement with the Pacific, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.    “New Zealand and Japan have a strong, shared interest in a free, open and stable Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says.    “We are pleased to be finding more ways ...
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